News 
19The Great Idol Drama Detox
Post-2022 idol costume dramas have gradually convinced me that ancient China was inhabited almost exclusively by three types of people:Perfect porcelain-faced aristocrats.
Individuals who fall deeply in love after approximately two meaningful glances and one accidental rescue.
Political masterminds whose greatest strategic weapon is refusing to explain anything until Episode 36.
The First Jasmine is still very much an idol drama. It simply declines all three invitations.
First of all...
The pores.
Ladies and gentlemen, the pores have returned.
I cannot believe one of my biggest compliments of 2026 is simply this:
The actors look like people.
Skin texture. Tiny imperfections. Faces that have apparently encountered weather instead of being digitally moisturized into another dimension. After years of idol dramas resembling luxury skincare campaigns with occasional palace conspiracies, this felt absurdly refreshing.
Even the muted colour grading deserves applause. The world finally feels lived in instead of permanently illuminated. Oddly enough, realism became the most luxurious production value of all.
That same philosophy extends to the writing.
Recent idol dramas sometimes confuse complicated plotting with complicated people. The First Jasmine remembers that the second one matters more. Characters make decisions shaped by trauma, loyalty, responsibility, and political reality rather than conveniently forgetting their intelligence whenever the plot needs another misunderstanding. Ye Li's psychological trauma and Mo Xiuyao's condition aren't decorative tragedies waiting to be healed by love. They fundamentally shape who these people are.
On paper, Ye Li should have triggered my internal "this is getting ridiculous" alarm. She never did. The difference is that The First Jasmine never mistakes competence for character. It doesn't ask us to admire an impossibly capable woman. It asks us to understand the cost of becoming one.
Did I believe everything the plot asked Ye Li to survive and accomplish? No. But I believed enough of the emotional logic behind her choices that she never felt artificial to me.
The drama never seemed particularly interested in impressing me with Ye Li's competence. Instead, it kept asking a much more uncomfortable question:
What kind of life produces a woman who needs this much self-control just to survive?
That question follows Ye Li through almost every scene, which is precisely why her restraint never felt like emotional emptiness to me. It felt learned.
Which brings me to the most divisive part of the drama: The romance.
If you're expecting explosive chemistry, endless longing stares, enough slow motion to qualify as a weather event, and romantic tension capable of overheating your screen...
...this probably isn't your drama.
Because this isn't really about falling in love. It's about learning to trust. Those are not the same thing.
Their relationship grows through reliability, mutual respect, shared burdens, and slowly earned trust. Watching two emotionally exhausted people become each other's safest place may not produce fireworks every episode. It does produce something rarer. A marriage that actually feels earned.
Personally, I never found the chemistry lacking. Its idea of intimacy feels quietly old-fashioned in the best possible way. Trust matters more than butterflies. Reliability matters more than grand declarations.
Rather than constantly explaining every emotion or spelling out every revelation the moment it happens, it trusts subtext, quiet observations, and conversations that often reveal more than they explicitly say. The writing quietly trusts the audience to connect the dots instead of drawing the entire picture for them.
This is one of the rare dramas where conversations build relationships more often than kisses do.
Ironically, the very restraint that makes those relationships so believable also becomes the drama's biggest weakness.
The First Jasmine consistently chooses psychological continuity over immediate emotional gratification. Most of the time, I appreciated that decision. Occasionally, I wished it trusted emotion just a little more. Not because it takes its time, but because a few scenes remain longer than they need to after they've already said what they came to say.
More than once, I found myself admiring what a scene was trying to do rather than being swept away by it. I understood exactly what a character was feeling. I just didn't always feel it alongside them. That distinction ultimately keeps this from becoming truly exceptional.
The political storyline follows the same philosophy.
It rewards attention more than adrenaline.
Names matter.
Family histories matter.
Your attention span matters too.
I appreciated that.
Still, patience alone doesn't automatically create momentum. More than once I admired the architecture of the story while wishing the rooms felt a little more lived in.
Performance-wise Bai Lu won me over.
She understood that Ye Li's silence isn't the absence of emotion. It's how she has learned to survive. Trauma doesn't always announce itself through dramatic breakdowns. Sometimes it simply becomes the way a person speaks, hesitates and carries themselves.
Bai Lu never overplays that.
Neither does Cheng Lei.
The First Jasmine won't work for everyone.
It whispers where many dramas shout. It values emotional accumulation over emotional spectacle. Some viewers will call that boring. Others will call it refreshing.
I somehow landed comfortably between those two camps.
I never completely fell in love with this drama.
But I found myself appreciating almost every creative decision it made. In an era increasingly convinced that louder automatically means better, The First Jasmine quietly argues the opposite.
Real faces.
Believable motivations.
A marriage built on trust instead of spectacle.
It doesn't always reach the emotional heights it aims for. But it reminded me that the most refreshing thing this drama brought back wasn't the pores. It was people who behaved like people.
Best suited for viewers who enjoy psychologically grounded characters, mature relationships, restrained cinematography, and dramas that reward patience more than adrenaline.
Less suited for viewers looking for fast pacing, explosive chemistry, constant twists, or highly melodramatic romance.
Was this review helpful to you?
43
98
2
1
1
2This review may contain spoilers
A Poetically Crafted Story That Deeply Captured The Essence Of An Unconditional Love
"The First Frost" is a modern romance drama adaptation of the novel titled "Nan Hong" which means "Hard To Coax", written by a well-known author, Zhu Yi. It focuses on the romantic tale between Sang Yan and his high school deskmate, Wen Yi Fan. The drama immerses into the nostalgic youthful idea of first love and intertwines it together with the melancholic pining of second chances. While its cinematography visually creates a gloomy and dreamy-like vibe, the OSTs adds a sentimental touch that completely draws you into its romantic tale. However...The First Frost is no ordinary modern romance drama, it is a poetically crafted story that deeply captured the essence of an unconditional love and engraved it as a lasting imprint. An unconditional love that embodies unwavering commitment and fosters a heartfelt emotional journey which leads to personal growth and self-discovery. It is where love isn't a mere consolation or healer of wounds and scars, instead it is where love is a guiding light that illuminates through the darkness bringing peace and safety. It is also where love is depicted to be more than just an emotion and feeling, but a constant deliberate choice that comes from ones willingness to choose to love every single day without any exceptions — no matter the uncertainty or the storms ahead. This drama meaningfully entails an invaluable love while also beholding an important message about self-love.
STORYLINE₊ ⊹❅
The storytelling follows a nonlinear timeline that instills flashbacks of the main protagonists' high school life into their present adult life exuding a reminiscent nostalgic feel. It generally revolves around the female lead, Wen Yi Fan's point of view but it also glimpses through the point of view of the male lead, Sang Yan by the end of each episode which further adds enrichment to the story. The drama begins with a heartbreaking memory that occurred on one rainy night where Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan separated in tears, then courses straight into more heavier scenes that can be triggering as it tackles a sensitive topic which women in real life faces, these scenes highlighted the life struggles of Wen Yi Fan and serves as a necessary element that allowed viewers to have a clearer grasp of her character. The defining line is drawn here as the drama's trajectory focuses not solely into romance, but also into trauma; its effect on life and love itself.
The first half of the drama creates a somber atmosphere that eventually balances out with warmer tones and a mixture of lighthearted moments as Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan crosses paths once again — they become two strangers living together under one roof with a shared painful past. This showed the contrasting differences in their lives and opened the door to their feelings. What I love during this part of the story is how both yearning and loneliness is set-up so gut-wrenchingly yet soothes it with understated affections through the conscious acts of Sang Yan and the unconscious acts of Wen Yi Fan. I found the sleepwalking scenes of Wen Yi Fan to be made not only as a mere catalyst that shortens the distance between her and Sang Yan, but a significant metaphor that reflects Wen Yi Fan's deep-seated feelings which even her conscious self isn't aware about. How she walked amidst the darkness towards the sun to embrace its warmth speaks about her pains, fears and her desperate call to be found — without knowing the sun she had reached out to was Sang Yan, the only person that ever brought warmth and light to her world — this scene was meaningfully executed and deeply tugged on the heartstrings.
What ultimately shapes the story more coherently lies in the second half as it dives deeper into the main protagonists innermost feelings and their past. This is where an evident romantic progress between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan is seen, but it is also where the shadow that has long been haunting Wen Yi Fan comes into the picture. I appreciated their sweet and intimate moments which led into a much livelier atmosphere, although it soon transitioned into the angsty and heavy arcs, such transition helped heightened the emotions evoked during these arcs. The separation in Hong Kong wasn't added simply as a mere trope, it showed the comprehensive depth of the story and stayed consistent to Wen Yi Fan's trauma. As much as it is emotionally gripping, it brought out more layers of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's characters. This aspect is one of the dramas advantageous feat because of how it had interwoven trauma into the story with an insightful knowledge and at the same time dealt with it respectfully. It did justice in showing how trauma greatly impacts one's life, how coping mechanisms varies greatly for different individuals, and how healing is not linear nor does it heal easily. It gave a realistic portrayal of trauma and wrapped it with a positive message.
As for the romance between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan, it leans more to slow-burn where their relationship developed intricately, hence, I thought it felt more organic as the characters were made to gradually intensify their feelings. The way their love story was written never felt cringe or cliche, it was mature and brilliantly stood out for how utterly beautiful and unparalleled it was depicted. The drama painted Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's love story in translucid colors that vividly showed the pure unconditional love they have for each other, to the extent that even the words "I love you" pales away in comparison for how wholeheartedly they conveyed love in more than just three words. The second leads romance wasn't able to fully pique my interest at first as their story felt lackluster however, the latter half of the drama showcased a much more interesting plot for them which eventually made me invested in them as well.
The drama ended on a very satisfying note as all loose ends were neatly tied leaving no room for unresolved matters. The antagonists in the story each faced the consequences of their actions, there was no unnecessary redemption arc as every toxic connection was cut off. Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's high school memories were remarkably concluded by how they seamlessly weaved all the details together and the addition of Sang Yan's unseen point of view gave light for viewers to see how absolutely profound their relationship actually truly is. As if it couldn't be more perfect, they executed the proposal scene in a way that magnificently captured the raw authentic emotions expressed by Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan during that moment, making it feel so realistic — the evident nervousness, trembling hands and lips, the tears, and heartfelt words. It is the best proposal scene to have ever been created. The ending they had given is beyond just a happy ending, it is an unforgettable and deeply-moving moment that certainly left a lasting impression.
The cinematography artistically enhanced the overall emotional tone of each scene with the constant use of lights, mirrors and reflections that gives off visuals that are a blend of dreamy, melancholic and nostalgic vibes. It was breathtakingly cinematic and definitely elevated the watching experience.
CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❅
Bai Jing Ting as Sang Yan
Sang Yan is a character written with so many good qualities in him that it overshadows his flaws and makes him come off as someone too perfect, but actually he is far from perfect. He just happens to have a lot of love in him as he was born surrounded with love which is his greatest privilege. He grew up in a loving home where he is constantly showered with affection and care from his family. He used to be someone spoiled and self-centered as he had never suffered any setbacks in his life, everything had always went well for him and this is what made him flawed. It was through his separation with Wen Yi Fan where he realized that the world doesn't revolve around him. The pain he felt in this heartbreaking experience is one of the important things that helped shaped him into becoming the present Sang Yan. Sang Yan is a character who is the complete embodiment of persistence, regardless of being afraid or the outcome, he just tries and never gives up.
Sang Yan's love for Wen Yi Fan isn't an ever-burning passionate love instead it is a quietly-fierce and unconditional love that is strong and unwavering. Despite how his love is fierce, he had never forced his feelings on Wen Yi Fan. He expresses his love for her through subtle acts of affection, where he notices and cares for even the smallest things about her. What struck me the most about him is how he is able to let down his pride and acknowledge its insignificance compared to the pain and suffering Wen Yi Fan has been through. Sang Yan letting down his pride doesn't necessarily mean he lacks self-respect rather it spoke of his inner strength that emanated from his deep sense of self-worth. Instead of becoming another storm in Wen Yi Fan's life, he became her home, he truly understood and sees through her; not just her heart but her very soul. He is an emotionally intelligent man who loves not because he wants something in return, but because he willingly wants to give love to the person he values — and this speaks about his self-love, he loved himself that loving Wen Yi Fan comes naturally for him.
Bai Jing Ting's acting performance and portrayal of Sang Yan is phenomenal. Every emotion he expressed across the screen was strongly felt. His facial expressions and eye-acting, particularly his micro expressions were so apparent it helped connect with his character in an emotional level easily. His eyes always held so many emotions that his crying scenes are carried out realistically. He is one of the very few actors I know who can really act a crying scene without making it fake. He really gave life to his character.
Zhang Ruo Nan as Wen Yi Fan | Wen Shuangjiang
Wen Yi Fan is a character who suffers from trauma and abandonment issues. She is someone who had lived life wearing a facade to mask away all her pain, but before all the suffering she has been through, she used to be someone bright and filled with love. The biggest turning point in her life was when she lost her father, she didn't only lose the person who cherished and cared for her most, she also lost her home and a part of herself. She is someone who had long stopped believing in love and believing in what she deserves. She had built a wall around herself that even her closest friends aren't able to see through her. She is a damaged person who is afraid to reach out for help because she still carried the betrayal of her mother who left her to suffer alone. Running away has always been her coping mechanism and way of survival. The separation and reconciliation arc in Hong Kong is a major event that helped her character to outgrow her traumas, realize her strength and opened her heart to self-love. Wen Yi Fan is actually a character who is courageous and resilient. Her ability to move forward with life despite everything she has been through and her constant determination to continue to live speaks so much of it.
Wen Yi Fan's love for Sang Yan is absolutely selfless and unconditional. Her way of loving Sang Yan does not come in the form of wanting to own him, instead it is in the form of wanting the best for him. Wen Yi Fan had always believed that Sang Yan is a person who deserves all the good things in the world, she sees him as someone so precious that she wants to preserve his brightness. Although, her decision to runaway without reaching out to him wasn't a completely right choice, it was still an understandable act as she did it to protect him from the shadow that has constantly been haunting her, because the last thing she would want to happen is for Sang Yan to lose his life. Her love for Sang Yan helped her break through the shackles that had long chained her, she healed not for herself alone but so that she could be the best for him. She values Sang Yan a lot that she willingly meets him where he is at just as much as he willingly does for her too. In the past, she might have broken his heart but she was one of the reason that helped shaped him to become stronger.
Zhang Ruo Nan's portrayal of Wen Yi Fan is worthy of recognition and praise. She really understood and connected with her character that she conveyed every emotional scene brilliantly. Most especially her crying scenes, they were so heartfelt. She wasn't only good at emotional scenes but her drunk scene is deserving of appreciation too for how natural she portrayed it. Her acting performance is outstanding.
OSTs₊ ⊹❅
The OSTs helped set the vibe of each specific scene which allowed every emotion depicted in the drama to come across the screen more impactfully. They weren't only captivating to listen to, each of the songs were meaningfully written and gives highlight to Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's love. It is definitely one of the key elements of the drama that enriches the watching experience. I love all the songs and my most favorite of them all is 'I'm So Into You' by Xiao Bing Chih.
OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❅
The First Frost is a masterpiece that rekindled the feeling of what it is like to have a first love, it is a drama that deeply portrayed yearning and reunion through its rich plot. It is also a drama that takes you to experience an unforgettable and meaningful story that will not only move you, but make you feel seen as well.
The First Frost is a beautiful reminder for when we forget to be kinder to ourselves, for when we forget to remember love..."Treat yourself well, and the world will hold more love for you".
Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan's chemistry is impeccable. I will never forget their portrayal of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan, they did justice to their characters and truly brought the love between these fictional characters so powerfully on screen. All the other actors and crew of The First Frost did an amazing job as well in creating this drama, their efforts and hardwork wasn't in vain. The First Frost is now officially my top favorite modern romance drama.
FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❅
- Wen Yi Fan's sleepwalking scene
- Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's confession scene in Beiyu noodle shop
- Sang Yan formally introducing Wen Yi Fan as his girlfriend on Qian Fei's Wedding
- Sang Yan taking care of his drunk girlfriend Wen Yi Fan
- Sang Yan's fight scenes
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's hospital talk scene
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's entire high school memory
- Wen Yi Fan finding out about Sang Yan's momento or keepsake box
- Sang Yan's "I volunteered"
- Wen Yi Fan's talk with her younger self
- All their intimate scenes
- Proposal scene
p.s all of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's scenes together are my favorite.
˖ . ݁❅𝜗𝜚❅. ݁₊
"When you're old, gray, and sleepy,
you snuggle wearily by the fireside,
and take a random book for company,
you savor the look in your eyes,
when you were chasing your dreams.
You used to have that look,
and be full of affection.
I loved your great and elegant past,
your mistakes, and your true beauty.
There is only one man who has ever gazed,
into your pious and holy heart,
and fallen inlove,
with your sad and aging face.
In the moonlight,
you bowed your head,
stooped, and murmured dejectedly,
in an attempt to escape from love.
Then you sneaked over the hill,
and hid your face.
Someone who is fierce,
who will love me among the stars, until death,
and know that love is as strong as death,
and be on my side,
forever and ever.
I want someone who is fierce,
and will love me until death,
it's you."
— Sang Yan & Wen Yi Fan (Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of the better dramas of 2024
There are some dramas that I shelved after watching several episodes only to go back to when I have nothing to watch but this is not one of them. I look forward to every next episode. The later episodes are angsty and I wanted to get over them faster.This story is of several young people from the Merchant class of varying degrees of wealth during the 9th century Tang dynasty. We don’t often have a storyline solely of the merchant class though there is the inclusion of the 2nd male lead, a Prince Bai who is fashioned after a real Prince/King of that era. Both male and female leads and secondary leads performed excellently. I really liked the character Zheng Ye Cheng played and with his excellent performance here, I’ll look forward to his other dramas. As for Seven Tan, she did not disappoint. As usual, Brocade Odyssey is full of drama, romance, fight scenes, humor and Steven Tan feistiness and charm. It also has a good ending in case that’s important to you as it is to me,
The costumes, hairdos and jewelry were stunning but some hairdos and makeup did not do Seven Tan justice. In some episodes where her makeup was more subdued, she looked gorgeous as her natural looks are already flamboyant. Cinematography was also good so I enjoyed this drama very much.
There is also much to know about the Silk and brocade manufacture during the Tang dynasty which I had not known about. Silk was prized all over the world = remember the silk route? An inch of Shu brocade is said to be equivalent to an inch of gold even during that time. There is a wonderful Brocade Odyssey Campanion piece that a fellow contributor, Frost_Edelweiss, had posted. It is below this review section, under ‘ recommendations’ . . It’s a weath of information about the drama, the silk brocade industry and the Tang dynasty as it relates to this drama. After reading her postings, I realized how much rich culture was presented in the drama. I encourage everyone to take a look. Here is the link
https://kisskh.at/discussions/shu-jin-ren-jia/132940-brocade-odyssey-companion-piece
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
LMAO They Left Atom’s Arse In Phuket
The side characters in this drama were as interesting as chalk. Also, Atom. Child. You touch people with that hand!!That being said. HAHAHAKKJSHFN That ending bedroom scene was just foul!! How you gon’ do that in broad-daylight with your grandmother sitting right there?? The poor woman had to listen to her grandchild getting eaten for two days while making dessert. Yikes.
Also, for a show trying to be ‘gangster’ they sure forgot that random bathtub gangster real quick. Mfer got killed and I was like ‘Oh, so what happened with that gangster group?’ and the writers were like ‘Whomst? We don’t know them. They don’t go here. '
ACTING:
Listen, I sometimes think most bl actors take their acting lessons from a block of cheese, or from like one of those red bricks, but I'd be the first to admit that MeenPing has improved. Sure, I still went ‘Child, what are you doing with your eyebrows? And it's your arms supposed to be doing that?’ more times than I can count, but their acting did not distract me as much as it did in their first two dramas. So yaaay for improvement. Love that for them.
What distracted me though was Ryu’s parent situation. Like, it’s Meen ever going to play a role where he has loving parents? In their first drama, his mother took half his kidney and ditch him at the corner of like a soup shop, he ended up a lonely gangster in the second one, and his mother here made him sleep in the dumpster because he liked to play basketball. I’m curious what his next parents are gonna bring to the table.
CHARACTERS
Like I said, the characters in this show were as interesting as a pineapple. Literally, except for Chogun, I have no idea what anyone’s name on the team was. I think two of them became a couple because the other one collected parking lot tickets or something? Whatever, I guess every show needs background noise.
I liked Ryu and Zen, sure Ryu came with a lot of baggages, that one gangster friend? and his mother, and Zen had his sick granny, but I like how supportive they were of each other. I enjoyed watching them together, they didn’t annoyed me so much and MeenPing had great chemistry. My fav part was when they were mature enough to let the other follow their own dream. Finally, there was no unrealistic love gestures like 'I'll move to Phuket with you' and I cheered.
That being said, did Ryu leave his fancy mansion to become a hobo, where he gets beaten every 2-to-3-business-days because his mama won't let him play basketball??
Zen came off as a pushover and at times I wanted to throw sticks into his hair for being a dumbass. Literally, he had so many chances to push Atom into that damn pool but instead he ended up in his bed. It seemed like he was afraid of setting boundaries. Be firm boy, no you don't want to go watch no darn movie!
And Atom. Oh ATOM. Antony my boy. Why? Homeboy just won’t give up and leave. Am I the only one who was like ‘aww poor Atom, such a nice guy, he deserves better’ in the beginning but somewhere along the way every time he showed up went, ‘My friend go sit somewhere, that’s enough of you.’ No really, Atom’s first coach must have told him the meaning of rebound, and homeboy decided to make it his entire personality, cuz why the eff did he keep coming back knowing full well he had negative 2.0 chance with Zen?
And what the eff was up with all the nonsense romantic gesture he made for Zen?
Listen, Romantic gestures are supposed to make you swoon and go ‘awww’ You know, like in the episode where Zen got on his tiny bike and rushed after Ryu when he was kidnap for the how-many-times-can-one-person-be-kidnap-and-beaten-until-it-gets-boring time? like:
ZEN: Ryu, wait for me, I’m coming to save you. I have no plan, no fighting skills. I in no way told anyone where I was going and of course I did not bring anything pointy or sharp. But, I love you sooo much and I am coming to rescue you. *in-love noises*
Me, slowly chewing my popcorn while Zen was being thrown around like a piñata.
ME: Dumbass nooo... they beaten your arse…yous is bleeding…but awww you came to save him. *cries in stupid love* #sosad
So yeah, stupid arse romantic gestures are supposed to make us swoon. So tell me why every time Atom made some sort of romantic gestures I wanted to snitch to his dad about it like: ‘Atom’s dad, come collect your boy, he’s out here making unnecessary romantic gestures and embarrassing his ancestors.’
Literally, nonsense stuff Atom did that no one asked him to do.
- Confronting his team alone: His arse got beaten and all he got from Zen was sympathy.
- Given up his scholarship: Sure, there’s nothing wrong with being in love with a guy you met under the public pool one time, but given up your future because the boy you have a crush on’s boyfriend got beaten is wild. Like was that supposed to make Zen fall for him?
- His arse getting left in Phuket. LMAO, what, he thought getting Zen that scholarship was going to make him love him? Boo-boo.
His character was created to be the second lead that never got the guy, so he didn't bring a whole lot to the table. Sure the writers tried to make him mysterious, and interesting with whatever the hell was up with him and his dad, and sure he quit his future for a guy he met at the bottom of the pool one time, but like he was a very nice fella in the beginning.
And, yes, he was born with a hand and knew how to use the pictures on his phone to you know—do stuff, but like, he was still such a nice fella until he got on my nerve for always inserting himself in their business, like dude, read the room, you are the elephant.
Side note: Atom sure knew how to use that photo galley on his phone huh?? ^^I don’t understand why he want a boyfriend when clearly, he and himself can have a good time all on their own. See how quickly the whole thing lasted, his hand must work wonders.
Anywho, I wanted to know what happened to him in the end, but I guess I can be satisfied with his arse getting left in Phuket.
LIN LIN LIN.
What was the reason Lin fell in love with Ryu? It felt like she woke up one random Thursday and went. ‘Let’s see, what’s on my to-do-list today?’:
1. Pretend not the see my dad’s drinking problem
2. Ruin the school’s basketball team cuz im nosy
3. Fell in love with that guy I saw through the fence one time
4. If there’s time, put my nose in Ryu’s family problems, cuz, yolo right?
No, Lin having a crush on Ryu made no sense to me? Atom’s crush I understood. He met a cute boy while sitting under the public pool that one Tuesday. So he fell for his rescuer, but what was the reason Lin had a crush on Ryu? Was it because she saw him through that fence one time on the basketball court?
Whatever, her nosy arse was so annoying, getting in everyone and their mama’s business but ignoring her own. Child your father is a drinking away your collage fund, hows about we focus on that, huh? Good luck to that one dude who confused to her, now he has to deal with her and her drunkard dad.
PLOT
i actually found myself watching most of the game, instead of fasting forward. Good camera angles and I was intrigued. That being said, there was not much of a plot going on here. The gangster plot went nowhere. That one bathtub dude died in a black scene, and these children who just witness so many deaths went home and took a nap.
Zen’s grandmother being sick got annoying, because what’s with parents figure hiding their sickness? It vexes me every time it happens. Do they think them suddenly dying and leaving their loved ones alone without any closure, and feeling guilty for not noticing their sickness will be the better option?? Arrggg.
And was Ryu’s mother allergic to basketball or something? homegirl was doing too much. Like, go take a nap.
Also, why the hell did the writers expect me to cheer for that coach? He’s an alcoholic who deserved to be fired. He caused the death of his wife, and still keeps drinking, even at school, and what does his daughter do, give him more. And even when he was in trouble for it, he was still drinking it in front of the students. The way I rolled my eyes when the board voted for him to stay. Talkng about ‘I wanna keep coaching’ how about you coach yourself some rehab first!! Nonsense. And did his hair keep getting blonder?
FINALE
The ending was rushed. We didn’t get to see why the school board change their mind, how it was in Phuket, and what became of Atom, but I guess this half baked conclusion is better than waiting for a season two, no?
I was so happy when the team lost, cuz Zen is such a dumbass. Who the hell tells his team and bf his moving to Phuket seconds before a big game? Literally, he couldn’t have waited?
And also was the other team waiting for them while they were having their moment in the middle of the game? You know, cuz now it’s the time to hug and take a breather. ‘Yes, you moving to Phuket. So what do you want, a medal?’ Thank God they lost, I’d have riot if they won.
HJAJAHAHHA LMAO. They forgot that gangster friend who found him in the dumpster, only to bring him in the finale and have him literally disappear after he said like two lines. Then they proceeded to show us he turned into some hooded stalker, with a montage of his and Ryu’s time together, and I’m just rolling my eyes going. ‘Move it along, I literally don’t care about this person.’
With all that being said, y’all lying if you say you didn’t want that throuple during that awkward bed scene. Hush your face, you know you wanted it. But like, that scene made me laugh so hard—poor Zen, if only his pushover arse knew how to say 'no'.
Oh and, that theme song was dope!!!
Anyway, if you like basketball and MeenPing give this a watch, it’s good for passing the time, and I recommend it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
✨An Emotionally Rich Journey That Stayed With Me✨
I went into this one knowing almost nothing about it, and it turned out to be an unexpectedly emotional and beautifully crafted journey.The writing, layered narration, multiple POVs, and haunting OST all come together to create a deeply immersive experience that stays with you after it ends.
Bai Lu and Cheng Lei are outstanding. While both are consistently strong actors, this drama gives them especially layered, complex characters. Bai Lu, in particular, may have delivered my favorite performance of hers so far—her character was intelligent, vulnerable, and compelling, and I found myself fully invested in her journey, rooting for her at every turn.
There is also a (not so) subtle but refreshing psychological layer to her character involving unresolved trauma and how she perceives her past, which adds unexpected depth without giving too much away—but I’ll leave that for viewers to discover.
The romance is equally well done, with chemistry that feels natural and earned rather than rushed. Even when things are difficult between them, the emotional build-up makes their connection all the more satisfying.
The overall premise—swapped marriage, political intrigue, and opposing schemes—is familiar, and many arcs, especially the final palace rebellion, follow a well-known historical drama formula. Still, Mo Li manages to stand out through its execution, character depth, and emotional pacing.
The ending is also a highlight, taking its time to resolve everything properly and giving the story a peaceful, satisfying conclusion.
All in all this one surprised me in the best possible way. It's beautifully written, wonderfully acted, emotionally powerful, and filled with heart. A memorable journey from beginning to end, and one I'll happily recommend to anyone looking for a historical drama that values both emotional depth and meaningful storytelling.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I rarely ever write reviews of shows but I gotta write for this one. Why? Because I saw a lot of poor reviews and it made me postpone watching this.
Let's get down to business now shall we?
This is a show for the patient ones. Those that are not seeking steamy fast paced romance. Those that want all the healing they could get. This show is the definition of forgiveness and healing. It balances out every emotion you could think of. Anger, sadness, pain, happiness, loneliness and just gives you general warmth.
Is this Romance?: Hell Yes. There's tons of romance in this. Beware though, it is not a romantic drama. This is a slice of life.
Why should I watch this?: The scenery, the ost's, the production, the actors, the story, EVERYTHING.
To All those that said this show is slow, I won't say it's not, but what I will say is, the pacing is perfect for the gem it is.
SPOILERS:
While watching this show, when Hae Won found out about the truth behind her fathers death, I discovered a lot of people called her selfish for leaving and going back to Seoul and for disregarding her family's feelings.
I saw it as the opposite. I saw a woman who was hurt by her family. A woman who went through so much hurt that could have been avoided if only her family communicated. A woman who needed time to accept that her family was messed up. To me Hae Won's reaction was spot on. I would leave too. I would be mad at everyone including myself. I would need space to reevaluate everything just as she did. Remember she had a hard childhood because her mum was a "criminal." Something she didn't have to go through. That being said, I commend her for leaving to sort out her feelings.
As for Eun Seob....I've never been a Seo Kang Joon fan, until now. I fell in love with Eun Seob as a character and Seo Kang Joon depicted the character so beautifully. A hurt child who never expresses himself but always wants too.
As for the supporting characters, I ABSOLUTELY ADORED IM HUI AND JANG WU. They were real comic relief.
THE OSTS: Beautiful
OVERALL? Watch this and decide by yourself. Don't follow any one's review. I personally will be re-watching this sometime later.
Was this review helpful to you?
SUN shines again through the help of a SON of capitalism
A will that has been long lost - Pain deep within, hidden away. A past too painful to recall, yet it ignites the fire of revenge within the soul of Sun. Captured by this intense wish for remedy, Jay reaches out to get a grip on this soaring son of the flames. Will he provoke Tears that can extinguish Sun´s fierce desire?BEST PART: Visual & Moody Elements (9.5)
Cinematography enlightens the viewers' hearts by setting scenes in the most captivating and intriguing colors. In my opinion, the team of Thai and Korean production professionals succeeded in the expression of ANGST and despair, while also leaving room for soft and romantic moments. Overall, the vibe is quite dark, but there is some relief from this darkness through colorful and bittersweet comedic sequences. Just exciting to watch all these creative and bold motives that were introduced by "Payback". It´s a real payback of the time and subscription fees paid to watch the series.
GOOD and INTRIGUING ACTING (9.0)
Toptap and Min nailed even the most micro-expressive parts. To me, Toptap's skill is to express strong emotions with lasting glares - telling an entire story just with a glimpse; Sometimes he made me feel like I´ve interrupted a significant moment of self-revelation. Shogun, Fuaiz and Khunnote were similarly able to capture my floating attention. Hope to see more of their acting in future series.
WEAKNESS:
Could be traced back to my attention span and amount of time invested in similar series (plot-wise), but sometimes I felt a bit lost with all the information in long dialogues - I take this as motivation to improve my concentration again. Additionally, I might have an unresolved personal trigger with Sun´s disheartened and stoic personality. However, I can very much understand what has caused him to have serious difficulties expressing himself and allowing himself to experience happiness.
PAYBACK is a strong player in this year's releases.
Was this review helpful to you?
‘Tomorrow’; Death Meets Satire In Rowoon’s Latest Fantasy Series…
Mortality is never an easy subject to tackle in dramas. Based upon the eponymous webcomic (‘ 내일’) by Llama, fantasy series ‘Tomorrow’ decided to bring forth the topic of death in a powerful smorgasbord of social issues and topics. Instead of reimbursing the old cliché of grim reapers being harbingers of doom and death, ‘Tomorrow’ rebrands its morbid psychopomps as fashionably suave members of the Crisis Management Team, attempting to save certain unfortunate souls from suicide.
The series focuses upon an alumnus from a prestigious university, Choi Jun-Woong (SF9’s Rowoon-‘Extraordinary You’, ‘She Would Never Know’ and ‘ The King’s Affection’). Struggling to land himself on the job market, Jun-Woong’s life is changed forever when he ends up encountering angels of death Goo-Ryeon (Kim Hee-sun-‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Angry Mom’ and ‘ Alice’) and Lim Rung-Gu (Yoon Ji-on-‘Dear My Room’, ‘Be Melodramatic’ and ‘Jirisan’ ).
Waking up outside of his corporal body after an accident, Jun-Woong discovers that he has been physically rendered in a comatose state. He is given the choice by Director, Jade Hwang (Kim Hae-sook- ‘Precious Family’, ‘My Father Is Strange’ and ‘Inspector Koo’): he can choose to be trapped in his unresponsive body for three years, or he can work with them in a ‘’half- dead’’ state, reducing his comatose state to six months and then landing any job he wants after he wakes up.
Woong is assigned to the Crisis Management Team alongside Goo-Ryeon and(, by default of being her protégé,) Rung-Gu. As the unlikely trio attempt to work together as a team, Jun-woong soon discovers that his new position is far from being a walk in the park.
Adapted to the small screen by novice screenwriters Park Ran, Park Ja Kyung and Kim Yu Jin, ‘Tomorrow’ places heavy emphasis upon prominent social messages and themes.( Including sensitive issues such as suicide, the trauma of war, inequality, bullying, the generational trauma of South-Korean comfort women, depression, peer pressure and eating disorders.)
Without a doubt, ‘Tomorrow’ is a varied accumulation of satire, provocative angst and mirthful wit. Although the series was often tactful within its approach to various subject areas and themes (in particular helping to offer light-hearted respite in-between heavy-hearted points of the narrative), the screenplay could admittedly feel somewhat out of place at times with its attempts to balance between hard-hitting messages and comic relief.
Of course this is not necessarily to say that the comedy shouldn’t have existed at times. Certain issues tackled in ‘Tomorrow’ were certainly supposed to be heavy-hitting and the requirement for an interim of slapstick comedy or comical exchanges was certainly necessary. (In particular, this was shown at times by Park Ran, Park Ja-Kyung and Kim Yu Jin being able to strike a surprisingly harmonious balance for most of the series through the kaleidoscopic array of themes and contrasting tones for their audience.)
However despite certain commendation certainly having to be given to the trio of screenwriters for their consistently provocative themes and tones, ‘Tomorrow’ could sometimes feel as though it disengaged between its plot and themes. To explain this further it is important to reiterate that comic relief was often quintessential within the screenplay in order to offer respite from darker themes and subject areas.
On the other hand, it did become noticeable at times that the series would often fall victim to divulging deeply into comic exchanges. This would often divert attention away from building-up the narrative events and characters, or alternatively struggling with the opposite problem by failing to allow a necessary brake or moment of light-hearted respite for audiences to grapple with events or characters. ( This seemed to flare at times later in the show in episodes such as ‘’Someday, Because Of You’’. Although the episode tackled a heartfelt subject area and was surprisingly bittersweet , it often felt as though the prominent meanings behind the messages in the episodes weren’t as reinforced as they could’ve been.)
Of course, this is not to make out that the entirety of the writing for ‘Tomorrow’ was inadequate or unwatchable in any way. Although perhaps certain issues ( in particular mental health and eating disorders) were perhaps
not fully explored by the screenplay or given speedy outcomes , ‘ Tomorrow’ often placed a certain level of open finesse with addressing issues and helping the audience and the characters coming to terms with them.( In one of the later episodes of the series entitled ‘’Spring’’, the audience were supposed to be particularly hit home with an onslaught of emotions with the controversial and historical subject area of Comfort Women, focusing on a dark chapter in South-Korean history.)
Naturally this brings up the discussion surrounding character-writing within the adapted screenplay for ‘Tomorrow’, as well as the performances by the main cast. Perhaps one of the most notable roles in the drama is given to main male lead Choi Jun-Woong, played by idol-actor Rowoon.
Rowoon has often been the subject of intrigue and debate with his previous career trajectory as the ‘’ leading man’’. Nevertheless, Rowoon offered a fairly consistent onscreen performance as the main male lead and it is fair to say that for many viewers, this could easily be seen as one of Rowoon’s best performances yet. As the main character of the narrative and storyline, Jun-Woong embodies what many would probably classify as the ‘’everyman’’ trope.Of course, this wasn’t a bad approach per say. It is sometimes common in fiction to see a main character become a medium for the audience, especially with a character being uprooted from their mundane, everyday life and being placed in an unfamiliar world or setup.
For main lead Jun-Woong, this was evident through being caught between two worlds: the afterlife and then the everyday mortal world. ( This was also shown arguably through Woong being conflicted in initial problems with common problems of interview and job struggles and then again with attempting to navigate his new role as a member of the Crisis Management Team .)
However, this also brings up an intriguing debate with regards to Jun-Woong’s character-arc. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jun-Woong is purposefully supposed to be flawed at times. Naturally this did not always enforce Woong to be placed as ’ heroic’’ figure at all times within the series.
He had his evident flaws and ‘ Tomorrow’ placed heavy emphasis upon some of Woong’s values feeding into an evident critique of social conformity by South-Korean society vs developing subjective morality and beliefs. ( In particular the screenplay would sometimes bring this idea up in early episodes with Woong’s shared social views on issues such as bullying, before contrasting this in later episodes with the main lead developing his own values and standpoints.)
Although it certainly allowed Woong to act as an embodiment of social views, it is noticeable that this often forced Woong into playing “ certain roles” in order to propel the storyline. Again, this isn’t always a bad writing decision but it did often feel as though there were some poorly tied loose ends such as Woong’s own personal struggles with his situation, his backstory and personal goals were often disregarded until the ending of the series.
In addition to the casting choice of Rowoon, it is hard to ignore Kim Hee Sun’s performance as grim reaper Goo-Ryeon. Hee Sun’s acting career has been eclectic and while respectfully her acting performances have varied, the actress’ pink dye job certainly helped Kim Hee Sun to embrace her suavely mysterious onscreen persona as the female lead. Alongside fellow costar Yoon Ji-On who played her laidback mentee Rung-Gu, audiences will likely find themselves tearing up and laughing at the antics of the two characters’ interactions and appearances onscreen.
As an onscreen character, Goo-Ryeon is arguably one of the most enigmatic and intriguing characters in the series. She is often fairly detached from overtly emotional displays like Woong but she is impassioned by her cause to help others. Initially viewers are supposed to remain uncertain of Ryeon’s onscreen presence. In particular, her unconventional acts of tough love towards the main lead and those she is seemingly supposed to save will bring about topics of intriguing debate for viewers.
However as the series soon reveals, Ryeon’s root cause for her actions are sourced from genuine sincerity for her position as a member of the Crisis Management Team, especially as a result of her complicated backstory. Naturally as a consequence of this writing point, ‘ Tomorrow’ placed heavy emphasis upon her mysterious backstory in the latter half of the series, similarly echoed to a lesser extent with side character Rung-Gu also.
Despite both characters having their fair share of traumatic and difficult backstories, it often felt as though Ryeon’s character arc felt a little rushed in particular. . Of course while audiences certainly did see a few hints of foreshadowing at times earlier on in the series ( in particular with Ji-On’s trauma), it certainly felt as though some of these backstory revelations and plot twists could’ve been developed or built up. There was a lot for viewers to digest with regards to Ryeon’s past and her important connections to other characters but due to an anticlimactic buildup, the momentum of these events rarely felt as though that they had reached their entirety even by the finale.
Aside from the main characters, it is also important to mention about some of the reoccurring characters of ‘Tomorrow’ also. Model-actor Lee Soo-hyuk ( ‘ Vampire Idol’, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’ and ‘ Doom At Your Service’) starred as Park Joong-Gil, the straight-laced head of the Humanitarian Management Team who shares a complicated past with Ji-On, as well as Kim Hae-Sook playing the role of the Jade Hwang, the head director of the afterlife and the bureau of grim reapers. The supporting characters certainly had their necessary roles to play in the events of the narrative. In particular during the later events of the series, viewers are given several surprising backstory revelations but admittedly these side characters felt as though they deserved more screen time or interactions with the main cast in order to build up their character arcs slightly more.
Then of course there is the discussion surrounding the execution of the series. Perhaps it is important that ‘Tomorrow’ decided to offer viewers with a fairly systematic approach; introducing viewers to main lead Woong’s predicament and his unlikely alliance with the main leads, the new dilemma or issued faced in the episode, the reactions and causes of debate for the characters and viewers, the dilemma reaching its climax and then helping to resolve or bring a conclusion to the events of the episode.
This approach by the trio of screenwriters certainly allowed the screenplay to tackle a wide array of issues and problems. However, it certainly did not come without its problems either. A lot of the storyline’s early plot objectives were rarely sketched out aside from the “ mission of the team”, leading seemingly important events or obstacles for the main leads being disregarded at times and then being given half-baked conclusions by the ending of the series. As a consequence, the ending of ‘ Tomorrow’ will likely leave viewers with mixed-feelings; bittersweet and certainly offering a denouement to the events of the storyline but rarely tying off all loose ends or bringing a complete feeling of satisfaction for viewers also.
Stylistically under the leadership of directors Kim Tae Yoon (‘Another Family’, ‘New Trial’) and Sung Chi Wook ( ‘Special Labor Inspector Jo’,‘ Kairos’), ‘Tomorrow’ was often caught up in an impressive onslaught of aesthetic shots and glossy gradients, with mood lighting and tones helping to add emotional turbulence and significance for characters and viewers in certain scenes. Perhaps one slight nag with the cinematography came through a lack of consistency. Rather than attempting to stick to a particular consistent form of filming or shots and tying these scenes and moments with the worldbuilding and lore of ‘Tomorrow’, the extravaganza of surrealist scenes and panned shots heavily influenced by big-budget movies felt somewhat disengaging from the screenwriting and world building at times. Nevertheless it is fair to say that ‘ Tomorrow’ did boast an impressively stunning array of imagery and scenes.
The OST for ‘Tomorrow’ was comprised mainly of a collection of modern pop tracks, varying somewhat dependent on personal tastes. Perhaps there may be certain songs such as the surprisingly upbeat rap song ‘’Red Light’’ by J.don and the morosely lovelorn ballad ‘’My Loneliness Calls You’’ (‘’나의 외로움이 널 부를 때’’) by Suran which will appeal across the board for viewers.
The sixteen-episode webcomic adaptation will offer viewers with a surprisingly heart-wrenching mixture of social commentaries, traumatic character backstories and comic relief. At times, ‘Tomorrow’ often struggled slightly with maintaining a harmonious balance between its writing and messaging. ( This often lead to parts of the storyline feeling rushed or lacking a sense of completion such as the ending or certain character arcs.) However for those looking to indulge in a fantasy series beyond the surface level with some prominently current social and critical commentaries with a touch of traditional Korean folklore and mythological beliefs in the modern world , then ‘Tomorrow’ will certainly offer viewers with a good watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
too toxic with nonsense storyline
it took me a while to watch all of it because of how toxic it was. it made no sense for yi cheng to keep going back to Lu feng because of how abusive mentally and physically Lu feng was. I get that Lu feng was bipolar and traumatized, but I think the director could’ve framed the story in a better way. instead of a BL romance drama, it should’ve been framed as a psychological one with different directing. like Burnout Syndrome. this over the top abuse is not my cup of tea and I frequently skipped over parts of the entire series because it was almost cringey to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Why romance when we have bromance !!!
Am a big fan of medical dramas and love seeing all the surgeries and doctor-patient interactions. But this drama is just shot in the hospital premise and has a little medical aspect, it's more of the ghost world. with ghost and doctor helping each other to fulfill their needs to survive the cruelty of the world proving the title GHOST DOCTOR so apt.●PLOT VIEW
Having seen a lot of K-drama, I had known that the secrets are meant to be known by villains, benevolent, and some family members. Wherein some try to use this secret and some protect you, the same happens in this drama too. The secret of ghosts in the body getting exposed in layers is done geniously. This drama while maintaining its ghost essence manages to cover today's society of greed. But it highly disappoints in the romance section, because it seemed very unnecessary in this drama. The Ghost Cha Young Min who is an ace cardiothoracic surgeon goes into a coma. And he somehow enters the new resident Ko Seung Tak who is not skilled. CYM is rude but seeing KST struggle, he needs to enter his body to save the patients. CYM's body gets better when they both do good, so KST helps him to wake up soon.
Also, I didn’t like the senior doctors who want to transfer the patient just because they don’t have one genius doctor. Why are they even there if they cant treat the patients properly? I mean the interns are shown running around every time for emergency and surgery both. And seniors don’t even give the basic treatment to the emergency patient.
●ACTING/CAST
I loved the entire main cast of this drama, but KIM BUM's character is so amazing. He is a man of exception. His witty nature and Ghost impolite character were done exceptionally well. I have been a big fan of him and seeing his various character it's hard, to not be one.
RAIN was good, I never get impressed by him but he is good. His angst and rudeness are pretty good to watch. His struggles of being a ghost are hilarious.
UEE is such a good actress but this role didn’t utilize her. She didn’t have a big part in the story and just felt like a supporting character.
SON NA EUN was a friend and keeper. I wanted to see more of her chemistry with KIM BUM.
The three ghosts and their head Tess had also made a good part of the story.
●MUSIC
The music was mediocre. “I can Fly Away” is the only OST that gives the vibe of ghost doctors which I enjoyed.
●REWATCH
Overall I liked this drama a lot. As I can acknowledge the flaws It's not going to make my favorites list, but it's certainly one of the good dramas I've seen in a while.
●RECOMMENDATION
It's a good watch, The story was pretty decent but got a bit draggy near the end, tho it was tolerable because of the bromance storyline. The chemistry between the male leads is undeniable.
●FAV SCENE
When the three ghosts show CYM how to be a better ghost.
●QUOTES
A doctor can wait for the patient, but the patient can't wait for the doctor - Ko Seung Tak
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Wasted Potential
This review is a personal opinion of mine. Theory of Love is a hit or miss kind of show. It’s one of the most popular and most talked BLs in 2019 and people love this show a lot. So of course, I have to watch and see why. While I’m glad people love this show a lot, sadly for me, it’s missed by a margin.Before I start, let me talk about what I like in the show first before we get down to the downside of this. Firstly, the cinematography is great! I like the editing and I like the movie names being the title of each episode portrayed. It’s creative and it’s nice to see filmology major students instead of the same old engineering, science/medicine or economics major students in Thai BLs. I also enjoy that they split two POV for the two main leads, Third and Khai. Acting-wise I say is quite decent. I usually don’t judge acting much so I won’t comment much. Gun’s acting is great and does a good job playing as Third, the lead character of this show. The train scene is also great, it’s shot really nicely and for me is the saddest scene in the show itself.
Now the downside of this show. Let’s start with the main plot which for me, was the biggest let down of the show. I got hooked from the first episode not gonna lie. I saw 2 flawed and realistic characters and I was excited to see some good character development here since I’m a person who loved to see that and this was one of the reasons why I continued watching it. As I continued, I got disappointed.
Khai’s character development was not good enough. While I never liked him for the entire 12 episodes, him falling in love with Third was so rushed and for me, it didn’t make sense. I was questioning the show while watching it and I never got my answers in the end. How and why Third did fall in love with Khai? (I know that Third fell in love with him at first sight but that can’t be the only reason right) What were Khai's good qualities and traits? Why couldn't they show some actual good traits of Khai to the viewers so that I could understand as well instead of wasting so much time on the subplots? Instead of Third writing 10 things I hate about you, why not 10 things I love about you? If Khai never saw the video in the first place, would he still be in love with Third? Did he force himself to fall in love with Third because he felt bad or was it for his personal gain or did he really fell in love with Third? I wanted to know WHY. This part made me angry and I probably screamed on the inside when I saw that part. It happened so suddenly which made me not trust Khai at all. The amount of time for the subplots in that show could have been used in the main plot. The show could at least show some good parts of Khai. I couldn’t judge Khai as I only knew him for 12 episodes compared to Third who basically knew him for 3 years, but based on those 12 episodes, I was just frustrated. While I appreciate that he’s trying his best to improve within the last 3-4 episodes, I'm still not impressed with it.
Thus, leading to romance. I couldn’t bring myself to like the main couple. I was sick of Khai just taking advantage of Third and being a bad friend in general based on the first 6 episodes. I rather watch the other side couple, Two and Aun. Bone’s story with the teacher wasn’t that interesting I say but I did like Bone as a character.
Was it a bad drama? No. But it’s not good either. For me, this drama could have been better. This was a wasted potential for me. Do I recommend people to try this show? Watch it and judge it yourself. You might have a different opinion from me. That's all I could say for this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Lost the potential of adapting a classic original romance story.
I have watched every Boy over flower adaptation: Meteor garden(2001/2018), Hana Yori Dango(2005), Boys over flower(2009) and have re-read the manga too many times to count. I'm trash for this franchise, so when I heard a Thai version was announced, I was super excited to see how it would go! I loved the first half of the drama, but unfortunately, after finishing the second half, it lost a lot of potential by having an unsatisfying execution of the boys over flower storyline. If you are a fan of the boys over flower franchise or want to know what the fuss is about, I'd still recommend this drama; just don't expect a lot of screentime for the main couple's romance in this drama remake. It's not the best Boys over flower adaptation for everyone, but it's entertaining most of the time.SPOILERS
Story:
Rating for first 8-9 episodes: 9/10-9.5/10
I absolutely fell in love with this adaptation for the first half of the story; as a college student too stressed to take a break, the only highlight of my weekend was catching a new episode of F4 Thailand! It started with a bang! The Japanese version(Hana yori dango) is my absolute favorite franchise adaptation. I was so thrilled to see that the Thai adaptation followed a similar storyline in the drama's first half. It did a great job to set up how Gorya started to fall for Thyme; I hated the whole Betrayal scene at the beach with a burning passion in the manga/meteor garden/BOF. I'm glad the Thai version also omitted that scene, similar to how HYD did. So things I liked OVERALL in the series
F4 friendship- it was a good amount of screentime to show how close and strong their friendship is and they had their bromance moments. Kavin and MJ were a funny pair! You can see how close the F4 are super close to each other.
Ren was the best version of Rui. I was never a huge fan of Ren's characters and never got second lead syndrome from him or the drama other version. I would either think he was pretty bland or feel bad for him since he always remained alone at the end of the story. The Thai version is the only one where I looked forward to seeing Ren! Ren falls in the list of characters in the story who didn't get the screen time they deserved! Still, given that only 16 episodes, I liked Ren! He supported Gorya whenever he could. There isn't a lot of screentime for Ren after episode 7, so maybe the writers just didn't have time to add Ren pursuing Gorya more, which I honestly didn't mind since I'm not a huge fan of the love triangle in the story anyway, lol.
Amnesia arc- It definitely should NOT have been that fast pace BUT since it was super short, the writers didn't have to add the bitch character who tries to steal the Thyme from the Gorya due to memory lose( I strongly dislike that whole arc in every adaptation/manga haha)
The chemistry between the leads - I like it! Despite the lack of many potential romance scenes, the casting choice was well done.I don't know why many people have a problem with Bright's acting; he was able to portray Domyouji(Thyme)'s character pretty well by pulling of a variety of wild emotions from acting angry, sad, confused dork, and love he gives Gorya takes a lot of energy to pull of this character. Thyme is not my best version of Domyouji for me cause Matsumoto Jun will always be my all-time favorite to pull the lovable dork off; however, I really liked Thyme and was always rooting for him whenever shit was getting bad; so well done, Bright! Even though I'm not a huge fan of Gorya's character development, but Tu completely nailed her acting for whatever the script told her to do. She's definitely a monster rookie actress; I still can't believe we're the same age! She's got a great acting career ahead of her! Bright and Tu have great chemistry, and it's a shame they weren't promoted as much as a pair due to their company; I'm hoping they can be a couple again in another drama someday!
Cinematography- I don't think it's the most important thing in a drama since the story is most important. However, it does add a nice extra layer, such as the directing shots/ locations chosen and camera angles that made the drama look pretty to watch.
Rating last half for episodes 10-16: 6/10-7/10
Pretty much the downfall of the series. Too many story arcs were being squeezed into one episode, resulting in Thyme and Gorya's love story being poorly executed since it was so rushed. There was soo much lack of romance between Thyme and Gorya; it was completely frustrating. Hana yori dango is a ROMANCE story between a rich guy and poor girl being the main center of the plot, but F4 Thailand made me question if I'm watching a coming of age/drama/comedy instead and having the romance be a filler. Based on the original Hana Yori dango series, the main leads have a very strong, passionate, and emotional love toward each other because they spent so much time in a relationship. But Thyme and Gorya's love was more like puppy love; it was not strongly developed as it should be since there was already a lack of romance in the second part of the story. Gorya and Thyme BARELY spent time as a couple. So when they had their rain breakup, it was so underwhelming, I didn't feel emotionally super sad about it cause they didn't spend so much time developing a deep, strong love relationship. Suddenly there was a 1-year time skip yet, after which felt strange. And I always felt like Thyme loved Gorya WAY more than Gorya loving Thyme equally back. They should equally love each other; if only they had more time to be a couple at least it would have shown. The drama tried to make up more of Goya's affections for Thyme in the last episode, but it wasn't enough to convince me they both strongly equaling loved each other.
Here are the many issues I had in the story:
Lack of screen time for some supporting characters that I grew to appreciate and enjoy in the original storyline and relationships built, which could have been improved if they had done 20 episodes rather than 16 potentially.
Thyme's sister
Gorya's funny dynamic family
Thyme's maid- The original story she was such a huge support to get the main leads getting together in the maid arc!! Where the hell did she go? She even had her own bittersweet backstory with helping Thyme in the original plot.
Thyme and Gorya's brother: I thought the writers would bring them even closer like how the Japanese version did. That would have been nice to see.
Kaning and Gorya's friendship- I absolutely loved Makino and Yuki's friendship in the manga! Yuki(Kaning)was such a good best friend; she was very important in the story for Makino(Gorya) to bounce her feelings to whenever she was confused about what to do with her relationship with Tsukusa(Thyme). Yuki's character was well done in all the other drama adaptations. However, I'm very disappointed with how the Thai version did to Kaning. I think she had the potential to be better from episodes 1-4, but afterward, I barely felt her existence in her characters.
Kaning and Kavin's relationship was not very development and underwhelming: second lead's relationship in this adaptation feels like a complete joke! It's so sad cause I liked the relationship built in the manga and other drama versions, but here, the Thai version doesn't care about them and gives a poor wrap of their relationship in one episode. Sometimes I forget they were even dating until the last episode.
Talay's (kidnapper) story was too long and unnecessary, I honestly couldn't care less about how close and special his backstory was with his friend which Thyme beated up. Instead, the drama should have focused and included more screentime to see how Thyme is not fighting back and getting beat up for Gorya since she could get hurt by the kidnappers. This was supposed to be a sad romantic scene between the leads, but oh well….
Thyme should have given Gorya the necklace AFTER ending with relationship with Lita, it was felt odd and concerning for him to completely forget that he is still in a relationship wit Lita when he did that.
Gorya's downfall: I like Gorya but sometimes I didn't because she was violent with Thyme. It was okay, I guess, back when she didn't like him and still felt Thyme was a bully; however, even after she came to love Thyme, she was still abusive by punching him on the balls, like wtf. How is this comedy? I might have let this pass if I was still in middle school; however, I'm in my early 20's now, and this is just wrong to see. It makes Gorya unlikable and hard to root for her to be in a relationship with Thyme:( Also, not trusting Thyme by blindly believing the Talay about the red card completely messed up all the buildup she had with her relationship with Thyme after episode 7. I know Makino(Gorya) is way too ridiculously naive in the manga at times and believes and forgives a lot of characters that she should not have done; however, I don't think Gorya should have been portrayed this extremely naive. Also, what are Gorya's goals in life?! We don't even know what she wants to do? At least in Hana Yori dango ,meteor garden and boys over flower, we know that Makino wants to be a lawyer, Shancai wants to be a chef and Jandi became a doctor. But Gorya doesn't even have any ambitions besides yelling all the time lol. Another reason why 16 episodes is not enough.
Thyme's mom redemption- so rushed at the last episode by squeezing it with the amnesia arc drama in just 20-25 minutes lol. The Thai version made the mom probably the cruelest and most evil out of all the adaptations, including the manga! The mom lied about having an illness to Gorya and not giving Thyme his medication to regain his memories until the very last 20 MINUTES of the drama. Last-minute, she finally lets Thyme and Gorya be together after all that so fast?! it just feels too rushed for her redemption. It could have been done in 2 episodes and slowly have her change and think things differently about Thyme and Gorya's relationship instead since she was so cruel from the beginning anyway. Suppose the drama was going to do their way. In that case, they should have cut the whole amnesia arc drama and just focused on ONLY the mom's redemption arc in the final episode, similar to how t Meteor garden 2001 handled it.
It's like the series lost its sense of direction of what made it so good in the first half of the series; maybe the writers were rushed when they had to make it 16 episodes cause the drama had so much potential to be better than what it became, it could have been 20 episodes max to improve on a lot of issues like deepening Thyme and Gorya's relationship, but unfortunately, a lot of things felt flat, rushed and underwhelming when the characters overcame to their challenges :( Maybe I would have enjoyed the drama more if I binged it like I was normally planning to, but waiting every week for a new episode made me very critical and reflected on each episode during that time.
I did like the final 10 minutes of the drama; glad they included the odd memorable F4 dance that happens in almost every drama adaptation! I was just bummed out Thyme and Gorya didn't get engaged; I was anticipating so much for a proposal, similar to how Hana Yori Dango did lol.
Anyway, I'm glad the drama is finally over with Thyme and Gorya having their happy ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
OFFGUN IN THE KITCHEN HITS SWEETLY DIFFERENT
I must say that people are being just too paranoid about this. After Not Me, Senior Secret Love Puppy Honey, Theory of Love. Everything about Offgun makes these guys undoubtedly one of the best and most successful onscreen couples in Thai BL. While of course each of these shows portrays them as relatively mature characters, I guess Cooking crush has given me something different.We've seen these guys act cute before, I mean there was I'M TEE ME TO but that was literally like a pure bromance, Cooking Crush on the other hand has given me a chance to appreciate these guys as a pair of naive Campus kids and the Comedy in this story feels right.
First and foremost, I feel it's worth noting that for me, seeing these two in a rom-com kind of plot after a full year is quite good, I have seen funny shows like VENUS IN THE SKY but on Screen I have never seen a couple that makes it seem that they are so meant to be like Offgun.
The Offgun Chemistry never dies out as I feel each of the actors are comfortable in their roles. Besides, I feel that they have got a more sincere progression in their onscreen Cooking Crush relationship than in pretty much any of those other shows that make the actors look like hungry sex addicts that I do not want to mention.
On top of that, a rom-com like trope is one you'll hardly expect to see Off and Gun executing very well but Cooking Crush will surpass your expectations. Trust me, the storyline feels simple, and we have seen how very many so called "simple and complicated storylines" have ended up this year, but Cooking Crush is nothing like that.
Is the show worth it? Yes. Cooking Crush will most likely drop in my top 10 BLS of 2024 because it has a catchy opening theme, it is a well paced narrative and shows you that even something simple doesn't need a lot of effort to become beautiful as long as it is sincere. Besides for Offgun fans, I dunno about most of ue but for me, this show hits just right.
Was this review helpful to you?
